


The Rings of Taurean

by windwavesandwands



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-10 01:34:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14727471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/windwavesandwands/pseuds/windwavesandwands
Summary: The story of Quinten, an unwilling Jedi and pawn in the battle between the sides of the Force.So we begin our story. The planet Taurean is made up by me.





	1. In which a princess and prince are lost

**Author's Note:**

> This is a complete work of fiction that I've been egged into writing. Taurean, Quinten, and related characters belong to me. The setting and whatnot does not belong to me.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...  
It has been eight years since the epic show down between the Jedi and the Sith for control of the Galaxy. Casualties were heavy on both sides, but in the end, the Jedi Luke Skywalker was triumphant over the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Peace has been restored to the Galaxy, at least for now. Life returns to normal across the stars, and off on a planet on the Mid Rim, a baby cries and the Force hears it. But there are two sides to the Force, and they both can tell that it's the cry of change...

[On Taurean, in the Mid Rim...]  
Palace guards rush up the stairway and down the narrow corridor. It's been a hard fight just to get where to this side of the castle. They are met with a trail of blood leading into the room. They raise their weapons before charging in. They pass the broken door and come to a screeching halt. The bed is empty, crimson soaking the soft blue sheets. The midwife lies on the floor, already cold. The soldiers fan out and search the room, some searching behind the curtains or in the closet, others looking out over the balcony. They quickly reached the same conclusion.

"There's no sign of Princess Astari, or her child."

Talok, Captain of the guards, steps into the room as the assessment is made, his grim expression never wavering. The others turn to him for some sort of word-either an explanation or an order. He is silent for several moments, until one soldier is brave enough to speak.

"Was it the Sith?"

"No," Talok says swiftly. "This is not the work of a Sith, but an assassin." Whispers spread through the group. 

"Assassins? Here on Taurean? Why?"

"It's not as though we have anything of value they would want this badly."

"Yeah! What kind of ransom could they hope to get?"

"Fool! They don't want a ransom, they want the child."

"The child? Why?"

"Didn't you hear the prophecy? They want him to tip the scales in their favor."

"Then what do we do, sir?" The youngest soldier turns to face Talok, expression uneasy.

Talok braced himself for their reactions. "Nothing. We are too late."

One of the older soldiers, Belleg, spoke from the back of the group. "You don't mean..."

Talok straightened up, voice somber. "Yes. The Princess is dead."

Small cries of disbelief and grief rose up from the group, and many removed their helmets, hanging their heads. The young guard who spoke earlier looked up at Talok, his voice quivering.  
"And the child?"

Talok nodded. "The child too."

Belleg spoke again. "Then tonight the people of Taurean have lost not one great light, but two."  
A great silence filled the room, as the guards mourned the loss of their beloved Princess and her child. 

Meanwhile, in a tower on the other side of the castle, the Princess leaned against the wall, sleeping child in her arm. An old light saber hung from her other hand. The assassin, who had pursued her mercilessly across the castle, lay dead at her feet. The battle had been far too grueling for the Princess, only a mother for a half hour, and the strain was showing. Her gown, the soft cream that tradition dictated, was stained red from the waist down and clung to her legs.  
She watched the small bundle sleeping in her arms with a newfound fondness. Her head jerked up at the sound of footsteps climbing up the tower, raising the light saber in preparation. When her brother's face appeared, she lowered it with a sigh of relief.

"Astari? Oh thank goodness!" He stepped over the body of the assassin and crossed over to her. Relief at her survival mixed with concern for her appearance, and he started fretting over her in the way that only a twin can do. Following behind him was the healer Tahl-Ro. His eyes paused on the light saber, and he gestured to it.

"Where did you get that??" 

Kavari answered for his sister, carefully reaching out and turning it off before tossing it to Tahl-Ro, who caught it deftly.  
"It's been here for centuries, an old relic. I'm more surprised that it even works." He turned his attention back to his sister. "Astari, are you okay? You should lie down." 

She waved him off, but a wave of fatigue washed over her, and she slumped against the wall. Kavari's hands shot out and steadied her before leading her to a chair. Tahl-Ro followed closely and began examining her.

"That assassin is just the first." Kavari said, gently taking the child from his sister's arms. 

"Yes. He said that more would come." Astari nodded, shutting her eyes, and pressing a hand to her temple.

"May I?" Tahl-Ro stood, holding his hands out to take the child. Kavari cast a glance at Astari before handing the child over. He looked the child over carefully, his expression betraying nothing.  
"I've never encountered a more force-sensitive child in all my years." 

Astari raised an eyebrow. "Force? As in the Jedi and Sith?" 

He nodded, passing the child back to Kavari. "Indeed, Your Highness. There are many who are sensitive to the Force, but few who are so strongly connected at such a young age. That is what drew the assassin to you."

"Then he'll never be safe?" Astari's voice was soft, but fearful. "They'll keep hunting him until they find him?" 

He watched the Princess' face carefully. "Your planet has seers who assign a prophecy to each child before it's born, yes? What prophecy was given yours?" 

Kavari blinked. "You did not hear? Royal prophecies are made public."

Tahl-Ro shook his head. "I'm afraid I arrived after it was announced."

Astari closed her eyes and thought back to the ceremony that had taken place only a few months before. The words that the seers had proclaimed before the planet flowed back to her.

"The child who walks between darkness and light,  
shall turn the tide, should he stand and fight.

For good or for bad, his deeds will be great,  
And ghosts of the past, shall guide his fate." 

The healer was silent for a moment. "I can see why the Sith would value him. The Jedi may already be on their way to take him as well."

"What? But the Jedi Order was destroyed."

"Nearly destroyed. Some survived, and I'm sure now that the Empire is toppled, they will be rebuilding their organization with new recruits."

"Will they be able to protect him?" Astari's voice was quiet. Kavari started to interject, but she raised a hand and he fell silent.

"Your Highness, I could feel a strong presence from the moment I stepped foot on this planet. I believed it was you, but I know now that it was your child." Tahl-Ro answered carefully. "Those who are strong in the Force will undoubtedly be aware of him far sooner. I doubt he could hide anywhere in the galaxy." 

"Then there is no way to keep my child safe?"

Kavari put a hand on her shoulder. "No, we will do everything to protect him. I swear." 

The old healer was silent, and returned to the task of healing the Princess. As he worked, his mind raced. A memory came to him, and he debated it's merit. Astari took his silence in stride, to her credit. She had known her child's fate for months now, and there would be no easy paths to it.

"There...there may be something I can do, but I cannot guarantee that it will be successful." Tahl-Ro spoke quietly after several minutes had passed. The two royals stared at him with breaths held. He stared at one, and then the other. "And it will come at a steep price." He added grimly.

"I am willing to pay any price." Astari said firmly, locking eyes with Tahl-Ro.  
'My', he thought, 'there truly is a fierceness to a mother that even a Sith cannot match.'

"Very well," he said, standing up. "I'll need to make some calls."


	2. In which a dream is forgotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the planet of Chandrila, sixteen years later...

Quinten had been having a rather pleasant dream. It had started out like it always did, with him flying over his home town. Flying had always been his favorite pastimes, when he was able to get away from work. This particular dream started on a sunny day, and the view was great. It was a dream he'd had many times before, but one he enjoyed nonetheless.

He flew through a cloud and suddenly...he was over water. It was much bigger than the lake his family sometimes went to on vacation, and the water was much darker...foreboding and uninviting. The clouds above him rolled and darkened menacingly, and the wind whipped at him. He could just make out a small island below him, when a sudden gust threw his speeder off balance, and he was thrown off. As he tumbled through the air, the island below him rapidly approached. His hands clawed for anything to catch him, but he grasped only empty air. The sea rumbled below him like a hungry beast, and the rocks on the island seemed to grow sharper and more jagged the closer he got. A hole in the island appeared, a giant mouth that was ready to devour him. Only then, with a giant mouth growing out of the side of an island, did he start to scream. Right before he hit the ground, he could make out a voice over the wind, although he couldn't catch all of the words:

"---seek out----darkness,  
\--perish---galaxy----.  
Let the-----guide----,  
\---disaster will befall---."

Then the darkness swallowed him.

And he woke with a start, sitting upright with a jolt. He quickly patted himself down, but found no trace of being eaten. His hand few up to his chest, trying to return his heart rate to normal. He looked around, and his memory slowly returned.  
He was in the meadow behind his house. A few deep breaths, and the heavy scent of blooming flowers chased away the last remnants of the dream. He could still see it if he closed his eyes, but it had less power now. Opening his eyes again, he took in the calm area around him. He must have fallen asleep in the afternoon sun again. The steady breeze touseled his hair, and the usual creatures called melodically from the trees and bushes around him. In the distance, he could hear the soft chiming of the bells his mother had hung outside the house. "To ward off bad energy." She had said. 

A twinge of sadness hit him in the chest at the thought. It had been three months since he'd lost his mother, and the thought of her still hurt.

"I thought that I might find you here." A soft voice broke Quinten out of his thoughts. Looking behind him, he saw Tallo, an old family friend. He didn't live on Chandrila, but he visited often and had become a sort of uncle to Quinten. The boy always looked forwards to such visits, as Tallo brought strange objects and stories from every part of the galaxy with him.  
He felt a grin stretch across his face, although it was more subdued than usual.

"Just taking a break."

Tallo nodded. "Mind if I join you?"

Quinten shook his head. "Not at all."

The old man took a seat beside him, and for a moment, they just watched the scenery unfolding around them.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to help your mother, Quinten. I didn't get your message until it was too late."

Quinten said nothing as the peace he had just recaptured faded away again. He drew his knees up to his chest and crossed his arms over them. 

"She was a wonderful woman. Kind, resilient, brilliant really. I considered it an honor to be counted as a friend." Tallo gave Quinten a long look.  
"She did the best for you that she could. I know that she wasn't perfect, that she kept secrets from you, but I promise that they were kept with the best intentions."

"Yeah, well keeping them didn't do her much good in the end, did they?"

Tallo sighed and stared out across the meadow. "No, but we rarely keep secrets for our own benefit."

"I suppose not." Quinten leaned back and stared up at the sky. Secrets had always been the family game. Except, most of them were kept from HIM.  
"I just wish she'd told me them at the end. Or at least tell me what she was so afraid of." 

"I know," Tallo's voice was soft, understanding. "Do you remember what I said about the topic last time?"

"That truth is revealed in it's own time." 

"Indeed. When it is time for you to know, you will." He placed a hand on Quinten's shoulder. It did little to put him at ease, but he knew that there was no point in dragging on the conversation. For now, at least, he would change topics.

"So, where have you been lately? We haven't seen you in over a year."

Tallo removed his hand from Quinten's shoulder, and pulled something out from beneath his cloak. It was a portable star map. He handed it to Quinten, who examined it closely.

"Let's see...outer rim territories...the subterrel sector...oh! It's an asteroid belt..." He raised an eyebrow at the old man, who watched him with an almost bemused expression.  
"What were you doing out on Polis Massa?"

"You're getting quite good at that." Tallo leaned back, bracing himself with one arm. "I was chasing down an old data file about some historical conflict." 

That was always Tallo's answer. He was always searching for some historical record or an ancient file. Whenever Quinten asked him about his adventures, Tallo always answered in such a way that he walked away with more questions.

"Fine," he said, standing up. "Keep your secrets. Uncle says that you're away visiting some lady in another quadrant."

"Your uncle can say what he wants." Tallo replied gruffly, although Quinten could detect a hint of a smile. "That doesn't make it true."

Quinten chuckled and held out his hand, which Tallo took. He pulled him up with a grunt.

"Besides," Tallo said as they headed towards the house. "I'd be a terrible historian if I only chased living people."


	3. In which a conversation is overheard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That night, in the Cyprian household...

In the late hours of the night, Quinten pretended to sleep. 

Even if he was truly trying to sleep, the noise from the living room would have kept him up. It was a typical occurrence when Tallo came to visit, although it wasn't him who made the noise. His uncle seemed to see the visits as an excuse to have fun and let loose (or, at least to raid the liquor cabinet). Quinten himself had been sent to bed shortly after dinner, over an hour ago. Of course, that hadn't meant that he was planning to sleep anytime soon. He knew that once the craziness died down, the real talk would begin. 

But before they got to that, they were guaranteed to come and check on him. Luckily, he had gotten really used to faking it. He focused on relaxing his body, not enough to actually fall asleep, but enough to be convincing. He didn't have to wait long, as he heard someone enter the room. Quinten put his best effort into his act, focusing on deep, even breaths, and for a moment...nothing happened.

"Has losing her been difficult?" For a second, he froze, certain that Tallo was talking to him. Had he been caught? He considered giving up when a voice came from the doorway. 

"Of course. How would you handle losing your mother?" Uncle Kasto. 

"I suppose you are right. But I know that this is a far more serious situation than for most." Tallo. "How has he been adjusting?"

"About as well as you'd expect. It's just been the three of us his whole life."

"So no strange behavior or incidents? Nothing like I've told you about?"

"Not that I've seen. No nightmares, creepy strangers or weird rashes." 

Nightmares? Rashes? What were they talking about? Quinten had no clue. 

Tallo seemed satisfied with this answer. "Good. Let me know if that ever changes. He hasn't removed the cuffs has he?"

This wasn't new. Tallo always asked about the cuffs. Quinten was born with a rare disease,that was called Syndarian Syndrome. It would have killed him as an infant had his mom not met Tallo. He'd been studying the area and was the only one in the region who had ever even heard of the condition. Quinten hated the cuffs; they always felt tight and they made him horribly drowsy at times. As a child, he'd asked why he needed to wear them. He finally asked enough times that his mom told him the reason. Apparently, if left untreated, the disease would have polluted his blood with a dangerous neurotoxin, and within a week, he would have fallen into a coma and died.   
Luckily, Quinten was saved by Tallo. He knew people in the medical field, and had a set of cuffs made that constantly monitored his blood and administered the antidote when needed. Quinten had been so scared by the story that he swore never to take them off, or even mess with them.  
It was the real reason why Tallo stopped by so frequently. He checks the cuffs and adjusted the dosage as needed.

"Of course he hasn't." Kasto answered. "You and his mother scared him so badly, I once saw him trying to duct tape them on even tighter." 

"Its for his own good. You know what would happen if he took them off." 

His uncle sighed. "I know. I am fully aware of the consequences." 

There was silence for a minute, and Quinten dared to hope that they would leave soon. He could feel his leg tensing up, but didn't want to move it. 

"He knows that Tri was keeping secrets from him." Tallo spoke suddenly. He could hear Kasto inhale sharply. 

"What? Whe-"

Tallo cut him off. "For a while now. He came to me about it, and I kept him from pursuing the matter further." He paused. "For now."

Kasto swore, something he'd never have done had he known Quinten was awake. "Well it was a good thing you were there."

"He's going to figure it out soon, old friend. It's not a matter of if, but of when, he will find out. Are you prepared for when that happens?"

His uncle sighed softly. "I've been ready since we started this. I've always hated lying to him. But if it buys me a while longer with him, then it's worth it."

"Very well. Then let us get on with business." 

Quinten could feel their eyes on him for a moment longer, and he did his best to hold his position. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he could hear them leave the room. He remained where he was until he hear the furniture being moved out in the living room. Then he quietly crept out of bed and snuck towards the door to listen. First, all he could hear was the clinking of glasses.

"One of these days, Tal," his uncle said, "One of these days I'm going to get you to drink something harder than tea."

"Much must change before that day, I'm afraid." Tallo replied softly.

"So then," Kasto finished his drink. "What news from Coruscant?" 

The change in the air was almost palpable. Quinten didn't know why his uncle cared about Republic affairs, but it seemed serious. Tallo's words were light, his tone almost elusive.

"You probably have a better understanding than I do." 

"Oh I've heard the drabble that they always tell the masses. But you and I both know that that's rarely the truth. What have you heard behind the scenes?"

A pause.

"There's talk. Most of it's the usual senate nonsense. Corruption in the ranks. A call for advancement in arms. Those in support are demanding that measures are taken to prevent another Alderan situation from ever happening again. There are still a few war criminals from the Empire yet to be tried."

"Wait. I thought the trials were made public years ago."

"The notable ones, yes. But many of the lesser known members, the ones with behind-the-scenes insider information, they have yet to be tried."

Quinten listened with growing confusion. He had heard of everything being mentioned; the unfortunate demise of Alderan, the trials of the Empire's worst enemies, the corruption of the Senate. But how did Tallo have all of this secret information? What exactly was his job?

"Senator Wintex of Taurean," Tallo continued, "is pushing hard for a galactic hospital to help the remaining clones overcome the trauma following Order 66." 

Kasto scoffed. "Wintex has always been a bleeding heart. My condolences to the Senate." 

That drew a small laugh from Tallo. Their conversation turned to whispers, and Quinten had to press his ear against the door to hear. He caught most of it.

"-something that troubled me greatly."

Quentin could hear the sound of furniture creaking as Kasto leaned in closer. "What is it?"

"There was a --- spotted in the ---. --- only, for now, ---still dangerous ---." 

Kasto drew a breath in. "Seriously? I didn't think there were any left."

Tallo shushed him before continuing, back to his normal quiet tone. "In my life, I have come to realize one very important truth: Where there is light, darkness follows. Neither can exist on it's own."

"But the battle on Endor?"

"-was merely a shifting of the tide, I'm afraid."

They were both quiet for a moment. Finally, Kasto spoke up.

"So what do we do? We can't let anything happen to Quinten."

"For now, just wait, and keep an eye out."

"And you? What will you do?"

Tallo sighed. "I shall remain here for a while, if you'll permit me."

"Of course. You're always welcome here, old friend."

"Thank you. I shall contact my friends and see what more I can find out about these rumors."

The furniture creaked as both men stood up. That was Quinten's cue to scramble back to bed as quietly and quickly as he could. As he lay in bed that night, he thought over what he'd heard. On the one hand, he was glad to have Tallo staying for longer than a day. On the other hand, however, the reason why he was staying troubled him greatly. Tallo seemed concerned with Quinten's behavior, something he'd never done before. And how exactly had Tallo gotten all of the supposedly sensitive information that he had? 

These and other questions swirled around in Quinten's mind, and he could feel himself growing drowsy. He turned towards his clock and noticed how late it was. There was little else that could be done, so he decided not to fight the fatigue taking over his mind and body. As he drifted off to sleep, Tallo's inquiry about Quinten's dreams came back to him, and he briefly remembered the feeling of falling. But before he could catch onto it, sleep claimed him.


End file.
